Reggie Mathis
1979 · Round 2 · Pick 38 · LB · New Orleans Saints
Reggie Mathis was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and played at Notre Dame High School. OU recruited him, but he didn't qualify academically and played a season at Navarro College first. At Oklahoma he moved from split end and tight end to defensive end in 1977 and was first-team All-Big Eight (AP) in 1978. New Orleans drafted him in the second round, 38th overall, in 1979, and he started all 16 games in 1980. He later played in the USFL and CFL and won three straight ArenaBowls with the Detroit Drive (1988–1990), earning first-team All-Arena honors in 1989. Pro Football Reference has a player page for him (linked below), but its stats weren't pulled for this bio. The Daily Oklahoman wrote on January 13, 1980 (NewsBank page 33): "Mathis was in on only 19 tackles in limited playing time his rookie season." The Daily Oklahoman wrote on July 26, 1980 (NewsBank page 83): "Mathis, second-round draft choice last year, played behind Pat Hughes at outside linebacker last season, but Hughes retired and Mathis is the apparent heir."
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Mathis | https://soonersports.com/sports/2019/8/13/208798496 | https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MathRe20.htm | The Daily Oklahoman, January 13, 1980, page 33 (via NewsBank Oklahoman Collection, scanned page) | The Daily Oklahoman, July 26, 1980, page 83 (via NewsBank Oklahoman Collection, scanned page)